Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the availability of training in manufacturing and engineering skills in Hampshire subsequent to the closure of the BAE shipyard in Portsmouth.

_{We recognise the importance of manufacturing and engineering skills to the economy : these will be vital to building the Solent area's strengths in marine and maritime. BIS is working closely with industry, Job Centre Plus, and Portsmouth Council to support those employees impacted by BAE's decision to close its shipyard in Portsmouth, including providing upskilling and reskilling opportunities.}

_{In the Southampton & Portsmouth City Deal, we announced a £1 million DWP Rapid Response Service that will support those recently made redundant and that Government and local industry will invest £3m in a Marine and Maritime Employer Ownership for skills Programme, responding to the immediate skills needs in small and medium sized enterprises in the advance manufacturing sector. Alongside the City Deal, £5m from the ‘Solent Future' Regional Growth Fund programme is available to support the up-skilling and re-skilling of BAE staff facing redundancy.}

_{The Skills Funding Agency is also working with colleges and training providers in the Solent area to ensure that support is available to any employees at risk of redundancy to update/reskill - supported by £2.5m of Skills Support for Redundancy European Social Fund money. Additionally the existing UK wide Talent Retention Solution is available to help match skilled workers to engineering jobs in the local area (currently advertising 692vacancies in the south of England on its website}[1]_{) and the National Careers Service is available to offer free impartial careers advice to those impacted on updating skills or retraining for alternative employment.}

_{The Solent Local Enterprise Partnership and Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership are involved in detailed negotiations with Government for Growth Deals that will see powers and funding devolved from Whitehall to local partners to drive growth in their area – which covers Hampshire. Solent and EM3 have both put forward proposals to grow the skills – particularly STEM and engineering skills – in their areas. We expect to make announcements on Growth Deals shortly.}

[1] Active TRS vacancies listed on 11 June 2014.